One of the University of Notre Dame’s most visible traditions will be celebrated again Friday (April 20) as the 2012 version of “The Shirt” is unveiled during events beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Hammes Bookstore on campus.
The celebration, which is open to the public, will include a variety of outdoor activities such as face painting, prizes and inflatables as well as performances by the Notre Dame Band, Glee Club, cheerleaders and Pom Squad. Notre Dame’s head football coach, Brian Kelly, will unveil The Shirt during a stage presentation at 6 p.m.
Details, a schedule and more information about the celebration and about The Shirt are available online.
Each year since 1990, when the first version of The Shirt was made available to Notre Dame students, alumni and fans, the item’s popularity and sales have increased. Proceeds provide funds for The Shirt Charity Fund, which supports students suffering from severe illnesses and facing high medical bills as well as such student organizations as the Hall President’s Council and Habitat for Humanity.
Over the years, The Shirt, enthusiastically worn by students and spectators at nationally televised athletic events, has become a distinctive Notre Dame symbol.
In 1990, the 32,300 shirts sold generated more than $100,000 for Zhengde Wang, a Notre Dame graduate student from China who had been severely injured in an automobile accident. Last year, 165,000 shirts were sold, raising more than $700,000.
Contact: Daniel Ogg, dogg@nd.edu